The People’s Revolt

Down with the elites! The American presidential election, in the most disparate ways possible, is increasingly mobilizing the revolt of a large group of people against the politics that have been imposed on them by the most powerful in the biggest democracy in the world. Out of the four candidates who are capable of winning, Donald Trump has created an immense surprise by rolling out a nationalist, xenophobic discourse, punctuated by anti-establishment, provocative statements. Ted Cruz, the tea party style moral crusader, has denounced the decadence apparently organized by the Liberals and by Wall Street. Finally we have Bernie Sanders, situated in the opposite direction to this reactionary debauched celebration, who has succeeded against all odds in fighting against the extraordinary inequalities of post-Reagan America to introduce an audacious and convincing socialist discourse to the land of economic liberalism. And yet Hillary Clinton, heir to the pro-business “new center” theorized by her husband, counts on the support of minorities to defeat her Democrat rival, whilst making her discourse more left wing with an inborn sense of opportunism. The people’s revolt can, in the worst-case scenario, lead to the disastrous victory of an irresponsible millionaire or even of a militant monk from the religious right. It could also lead to the victory of a Democrat, male or female, who is finally aware of the excesses of American capitalism, a claim which may or may not be sincere. As Ted Cruz would say: let’s pray…